Leave My Christmas Alone!

The last few days I have been listening to the story of how “independent Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee’s decision to call a spruce erected at the Statehouse a holiday tree and not a Christmas tree” (cbsnews.com). Nothing couldn’t get me anymore frustrated than someone trying to change a Christian celebration into a plain holiday with no history.

An article I read earlier today (similar to the many anti-Christmas stories) questions the tolerance of Christians. Why is it that Christians have to give up their right to celebrate Christ for the sake of the few who wish to just celebrate a holiday? Tolerance does not mean people have to give up their tradition, to the contrary, it means one will not dispute the belief of another. Somewhere in between this argument, those seeking tolerance have lost their Webster dictionary.

So I ask that Christmas non-believers spare me the history of the Christmas tree or the St. Nicholas/Santa Claus connection to paganism, we get it. However, it’s a celebration that has gone hand in hand with Christmas since the 19th century and one that serves to entertain the kids. Of utmost importance it’s the observation of Christ’s birth, that with all its controversy, we are actually celebrating.

Consequently, I’m not giving up my traditions in order to be politically correct. Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah while African Americans celebrate Kwanza but neither would change the name of these observances for the sake of tolerance. Why should we?

Thus, I say go ahead and celebrate the “holiday season” as you wish but leave my Christmas alone, Feliz Navidad!

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